Export earnings from agro-forestry and aquatic products in the first half of 2011 was estimated at US$12 billion, up 38.7 percent over the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In June alone, agro-forestry and aquatic products fetched US$2.1 billion, mainly from key export items like coffee and rubber, which saw a sharp increase in export turnover in the Belgian and US markets.

In the past six months, Vietnam earned US$7 billion from exporting agricultural products, 1.5 times more than the same period in 2010.

Rice exports also contributed almost US$2 billion, thanks to increased volume exported to Indonesia, Cuba and Malaysia.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has taken new measures to promote the export of agro-forestry and aquatic products. It has organised seminars and trade fairs to advertise these products and worked with foreign countries to remove technical and commercial barriers.

The Ministry also asked relevant agencies to effectively implement policies to reduce post-harvest losses and establish Vietnamese standards for seafood processing and preserving.

(VOV)